The present invention relates to a transportable construction element in the form of a container, comprising:
a bottom wall, a top wall and side walls assembled with one another, as well as corner elements arranged on the container so as to absorb external compressive or tensile forces, and
at least one hinged panel capable of pivoting between a closed position in which it forms at least a part of one of the walls of the construction element, and an open position, swung outwards.
Transportable construction elements of this kind, in the form of a container, are already known and in particular those are described in LU-A-85595.
In this patent, a hinged panel forming an entire side wall of the container is provided. This hinged panel may be made to pivot outwards so that, in the swung-out position, its internal surface is coplanar with the internal surface of the floor of the container. The hinged panel is connected in a fixed manner to two of the corner elements, which are arranged at the corners of the container so as to absorb external compressive or tensile forces, in particular during transportation of the container and assembly of a structure using this container. During its pivoting movement outwards, the hinged panel moves these two corner elements with it so as to form a stable and solid structure, for example a passageway between two assembled containers. Such assembled containers may be intended, amongst other things, for the construction of a hospital, of the mobile type for example. According to this patent, together with swinging-out of the hinged panel, side curtains running along the edge of this passageway are also unfurled.
On its own, however, such a container does not allow a closed rigid structure to be constructed, which, after the extension stage, has a volume larger than that of the transported container, this volume being sheltered from the external atmosphere and hence bad weather, as well as from radiation, exploding shells, etc.
For a long time transportable containers have also been known which are provided with corner elements and at least one side panel of which may be made to pivot outwards, certain walls carrying inside the container devices, apparatus, equipment, furniture, etc., mounted in their final position before transportation (see, for example, the patents GB-1,347,177 and GB-1,603,613). Also known are transportable containers, provided with corner elements and comprising panels which can be swung outwards by means of pivoting, which enable the internal volume of the container to be extended by a canopy (see FR-A-2,476,716). In this container also, equipment and apparatus may be definitively mounted beforehand, inside the container.
These latter containers have, in the extended position, a plane of the inner face of the swung-out panel which is offset relative to the plane of the internal surface of the ceiling or floor relative to which it pivots. In the extended position, these containers either are completely open outwards or have a canopy open outwards. They are therefore not designed to form, in the extended state, a closed construction totally sheltered from bad weather conditions.
Transportable containers are also known which allow enlargement of the volume of the container when the latter is installed, namely through the swinging out--which is often a complex operation--of pivoting panels (see EP-A-0,077,103 and WO-84/00573). These containers, however, are not to easy to handle during transportation because they have no corner elements facilitating the manoeuvres necessary, for example, for suspension from lifting appliances and fixing on transportation vehicles. Their arrangement is such that the mounting of heavy equipment on the internal walls of the container is not possible or is possible in very few cases.
Also known is an expandable, transportable camping structure, which, after setting up, has the shape of a house with a sloping roof and gables (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,165). In order to set up the house, in addition to several operations involving pivoting of various panels, there is a first stage consisting in sliding a movable section of the structure relative to a fixed section. Like the fixed section, the movable section is supported by jacks or jackscrews, this being complicated during sliding of the movable section, or it is supported in cantilever fashion by the fixed section, in particular by means of telescopic beams. During transportation, no equipment may be provided inside the movable section and few objects may actually be fixed inside the fixed section. The structure in question is a light structure, which is complex as regards construction and assembly and which has no corner elements. When folded away, the structure does not constitute a single container, but it always forms an assembly consisting of two sections fitted one inside the other in a manner visible from the exterior.
In addition to being difficult to handle during transportation, this arrangement requires operation of the slide, formed by the movable section, during transportation. Frequent opening and closing with successive changes in position of this structure would rapidly damage the latter.
Expandable structures are known, external sections of which may slide outwards relative to a central section (WO-84/01974) and which have the same drawbacks with regard to handling and fitting together as the preceding structure.
As is described in the introduction of U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,165, camping trailers are also already known which can assume a compact form for travelling purposes and an extended form by means of a tent.